From the Achieve Foundation:
The Achieve Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the Fall 2025 Grant Awards, recognizing outstanding teacher-led initiatives that will enhance learning and engagement for thousands of students across the South Orange-Maplewood School District (SOMSD. This year’s approved projects total nearly $62,000 of which an impressive $55,000 came from Achieve’s general grants budget. In addition, the Pollock Arts Initiative (PAI) provided over $3,000 for Ukuleles for Upper Elementary Students at Marshall Elementary School, and a special fund set up in remembrance of English Language Arts Supervisor Dr. Jane Bean-Folkes provided almost $4,000 for two literacy requests.
These grants reflect Achieve’s mission of supporting high quality education that prepares students for the future. Achieve Executive Director Eileen Neri noted: “These projects reflect the best of what our educators bring to the SOMSD: creativity, compassion, and a deep understanding of how to make learning meaningful. We’re thrilled to support programs that inspire students and strengthen our school community.”
The grant awards spanned a number categories including arts, STEM, social-emotional learning, diversity and inclusion, and civic engagement. Find a complete list of Fall 2025 Grant Awards on the Achieve website or at the end of this news release. A few highlights include:
One Book, One Grade Reading Initiative. Tuscan Elementary. This literacy and community-building project will unite Grades 3–5 in a shared reading experience focused on empathy, curiosity, and social connection.
Building Blocks, Year Two. Seth Boyden Elementary. This continuation of last year’s social-emotional learning (SEL) program partners with an SEL expert to help teachers and students strengthen emotional awareness and classroom community.
Equipping Future Environmental Stewards. South Orange Middle School. Seventh graders will conduct real-world fieldwork through the Rahway River Ecology Project, analyzing water quality and local ecosystems to understand human impact on the environment.
Rhetoric in the Field. Columbia High School. High school juniors will sharpen their writing and critical thinking skills by observing how language shapes their world—building a “rhetoric field guide” that blends civics, communication, and creativity.
High Fives & Good Vibes. South Orange Middle School. This inclusive SEL initiative connects general education students with peers in Multiple Disabilities and Autism programs, fostering friendship, understanding, and belonging through shared activities.
Facilitating Target Language Oral Proficiency in the World Language Classroom (Lab within a Class). Maplewood Middle School. World language students (Spanish;Mandarin) will be able to practice speaking in the target language through their engagement in pronunciation and interpersonal speaking activities.
Other funded projects include author visits, restorative community circles, interactive STEM learning kits, SEL bootcamps in stepping and movement, and new technology and classroom tools to enhance accessibility and engagement.
Together, these initiatives will reach students across all schools and grade levels, fostering curiosity, empathy, and creativity.
These grants are made possible through the generosity of community donors, and the unwavering dedication of SOMSD educators who continuously seek new ways to inspire and empower students.
Direct Funding Community Support Still Needed
While Achieve was able to fully fund many of the requests received, there are a few that were only partially funded and the organization is now asking the community to consider adding “Direct Funding” support for the following grants:
Practicing Saving Lives: The purchase of new adult and infant CPR dummies will enhance the CPR 11th grade curriculum to teach students how to perform CPR and use an AED. Direct fund amount remaining: $1,137
Advancer Kiln Shelves: An addition to the popular Ceramics Program at CHS, these shelves are designed to withstand high temperatures and the rigorous demands of ceramic firing to last longer than standard shelving. Direct fund amount remaining: $1,145
District Event Photography Program: The purchase of additional equipment will enable students interested in photojournalism to learn and practice these skills by covering athletic, drama, music, dance and other student events across the district. Direct fund amount: $4,613
Direct funding donations can be made to any of these programs here.
A full list of the Fall 2025 Grant Awards is below.
